Reflections: Bear news travels fast

Ed Hungness

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Ed Hungness

July 10, 2011

By Ed Hungness, Local columnist ---- The Record Eagle Mon Apr 02, 2012, 12:32 PM EDT

You can't live in northern Michigan and not hear bear stories. It's part of living in the great north woods.

We've been homeowners in Fife Lake for 11 years and had not seen a bear. We saw bears in Yellowstone and while camping in the Upper Peninsula. We've seen bears in Wisconsin and Colorado, but to our dismay we had never spotted one here.

Friends would tell us, "You should have been at our house last night. We had three bears in the backyard!" or, "A bear tipped over our garbage can and made a big mess!" We've even heard tales of bears on decks, staring into living rooms; and yet in 11 years, we had seen no bears.

Every day, I make my run into town to pick up mail, go to our local grocery store and stop at the hardware store. It's part of my retirement routine. With hawk-like eyes I scan the woods and roadside as I drive my Jeep to the highway. My wife says I rubberneck and should keep my eyes on the road. I peer into the marsh and stare down two-tracks that cross the blacktop. I watch for the deer that appear with little notice. Still, in driving the same route ... no bears.

Last month, I turned on the 11 o'clock news. Never mind the sports, forget about the weather. I wanted to see the news about the bear in Traverse City! It was the lead story. A big black bear was wandering around the streets and backyards of Traverse City, and I had to see it on TV. Bummer! Those big city folks have all the luck.

Whenever the subject of bears comes up, I hear the same story, which varies from one telling to the next. Fifteen, or maybe it was 20 years ago, somebody's sister-in-law saw a big black bear swim from one of our lake's islands to the mainland. It waded ashore near our cottage and ran into the woods. I was beginning to wonder if we were doomed to be forever bearless -- yet I hung onto my thread of optimism.

Sometimes, things happen when you least expect it. Last week, I was in the computer room making a phone call to my Uncle Bob in Chicago. It was on the third ring when my wife called loudly from the living room. "Ed, come out here!" I surmised that she didn't realize I was using the phone and informed her with a short reply.

"NOW!" she said.

Figuring that the cottage was on fire but not yet smelling of smoke, I hung up the phone and raced to her assistance.

As I entered the room she blurted out, "There's a bear at the feeder!" Wide-eyed, I watched the bear evaluating our shepherds pole from which hangs two tube-feeders and a suet cake. With the greatest of ease, it momentarily reared up on its hind legs and bent the iron pole to the ground.

Our visitor lay on the lawn, like a giant black lab, and began lapping up the spilled seed. I was fascinated with the scene that unfolded in our own yard, and my wife began taking pictures through the window with her cell phone.

After a few minutes of watching, I figured I better scare it off. We didn't want this to become a nightly event. Clapping and shouts through the sliding glass door didn't faze our friend. It left only at the conclusion of its meal!

Thrilled with our first sighting of the neighborhood bear, I composed an email with photos attached and sent it to a multitude of friends, relatives and neighbors. The next day, I was bursting at my story-telling seams! I drove to the village, making the hardware store my first stop. There's usually a group hanging around the coffee pot. Unfortunately, no one was there. Eager to share my news, I went to the cash register where I found Tina, the owner. "Guess what we had at our bird feeder last night?" I blurted out. She smiled and casually replied, "I know, you had a bear in your yard. I read about it on your neighbor's Facebook." The wind having left my sails, I realized that bear news travels fast in our neck of the woods.

Ed Hungness and his wife became full-time residents of Fife Lake in 2005 after Ed's retirement. He can be reached at edhungness@yahoo.com or by mail at P.O. Box 57, Fife Lake, MI 49633.